Smoke generator



Sept. 19, 1961 R. A. HAWLEY SMOKE GENERATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1959 INVENTOR. R Alfie wZey A 7' TORNEVS Sept. 19, 1961 R. A. HAWLEY- 3,000,373

SMOKE GENERATOR Filed Jan. 26, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 v 7 \L? Li? H In Jfi\ Wm 2 o m J 3 w W%. m z m 0 a m w m M m n w u a w Y 5:: 1 l M B Flu R. A. HAWLEY 3,000,373

SMOKE GENERATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 19, 1961 Filed Jan. 26, 1959 :7 IIIIA 2-:

INVENTOR. R. H. J-Ca w Z e 3 BY A TTORNEVS United States Patent Ofihce 3,000,373 Patented Sept. 19, 1961 3,000,373 SMOKE GENERATOR Richard A. Hawley, Oakland, 'Calif., assignor to Meat Packers Equipment Co., Oakland, Calif a corporation of California Filed Jan. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 788,984 3 Claims. (Cl. 126-595) This invention relates in general to an improved apparatus whose purpose is to create smoke for delivery or feeding to a food product smoke house.

In particular the invention is directed to, and it is a major object to provide, a novel smoke generator wherein the smoke is produced by forcefully urging an elongated hardwood log endwise against the periphery of a power driven friction drum.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a smoke generator, of the type described, wherein the friction drum is of novel construction, and which assures of the continuous productionin substantial quantity-of smoke when the apparatus is in use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the smoke generator with a novel guideway and presser head assembly for the log; the guideway positioning the log in alinement with and for sliding toward the friction drum, and the presser head assembly maintaining such logby means of a power cylinder-under pressure endwise against the friction drum, notwithstanding the progressive reduction in length of said log as it is gradually consumed.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a smoke generator which is operative to produce a con tinuous supply of cool, clean smoke, and to this end the apparatus embodies a novel friction drum housing and a water pan associated with such housing in a manner whereby the major portion of the fly-ash is caught by the water, in the pan, as the smoke flows thereover. The water in the pan also serves to cool the smoke.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a smoke generator which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture, use without fire hazard, and satisfactory operation with a minimum of servicing being required. i

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable smoke geenrator, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

BRIG. 1 is a front elevation of the smoke generator; the valve-controlled, air pressure and water supply systemsin the most part within the cabinet of the apparatusbeing mainly represented diagrammatically and in broken lines.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the smoke generator, but with the front of the cabinet removed and said air pressure and water supply systems omitted; the friction drum housing and the log guideway being partly broken away and partly in section.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional elevation taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3, and includes the friction drum and the housing therefor.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a face elevation, partly in section, of the friction drum, detached.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary end elevation of said drum.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and

to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application, the smoke generator, which embodies the present invention, comprises an upstanding cabinet, indicated generally at 1, and which cabinet is of substantial height.

The cabinet 1 includes an upstanding rectangular frame 2, of skeleton construction, which is supported-from the floor and at the cornersby adjustable feet 3; the face of the cabinet 1 being normally closed in one vertical half by a fixed front panel 4, and in the other vertical half by a hinged front panel 5 which provides an access door.

A horizontal cross shaft 6 is journaled in the cabinet 1 adjacent one side thereof and a distance above the bottom; such cross shaft being oarriedat the endsin bearings; one bearing and its mount being indicated at 7 and 8, respectively. The cross shaft 6 lies directly to the rear of the panel 5, and such shaft is fitted with a relatively wide friction drum, indicated generally at 9; the structural characteristics of such friction drum hereinafter appearing in detail.

The friction drum 9 is rotated, in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 4, by an endless belt and pulley unit 10 which extends between cross shaft 6 and an electric motor 11 mounted in the cabinet at the bottom thereof adjacent the side opposite such cross shaft. The motor 11 is controlled by a circuit (not shown), but which includes a start-stop switch S on front panel 4.

The friction drum 9 is enclosed within a housing, indicated generally at 12, and whose particular structure will likewise hereinafter appear in detail.

A vertical guideway, indicated generally at 13, projects at its lower end through an opening 14 in housing 12 substantially centrally above the friction drum 9, and such vertical guideway extends upwardly to the top of the cabinet 1, being suitably rigidly secured to the frame 2.

The vertical guideway 13 is adapted to receive a vertically elongated hardwood block or log 15 which is square in horizontal section; such log 15 being slidable downwardly in said guideway, and at its lower end such log bears on the top of the friction drum 9.

The vertical guideway 13 is comprised of four corner posts; the back ones of which are indicated at 16, while the front ones are indicated at 17. The back corner posts 16 have inturned flanges whereby to form a back stop for the log 15, while the front corner posts 17 are disposed with the flanges out-turned so that the guideway 13 is open, at the front, for insertion of said log. The lower portion of the log is prevented from forward dis placement from the guideway 13 by ahorizontal retention bar 18 connected between the front corner posts 17 adjacent the housing .12; said log being of a length such that it may be inserted into the guideway 13 above the retention bar 18 and then dropped behind the latter.

The log 15, as disposed in the guideway 13, is normally forcefully urged downwardly into lower end-engagement with the periphery of the friction drum 9 by a horizontal presser head 19 which seats on the upper end of said log. The presser head 19 has parallel bars 20 fixed atop thereof, and which bars extend transversely between the back corner posts 16 and the front corner posts 17; the bars projecting beyond the posts and being fitted with rollers 21 which ride thereon. The presser head 19 is thus effectively guided for Vertical movement without binding.

A transverse lever arm 22 is positioned in the upper portion of the cabinet 1, with one end of said lever arm pivoted, as at 23, between upstanding ears 24 mounted centrally on the presser head 19. At the opposite end said lever arm 22 is longitudinally adjustably pivoted, as at 25, to the lower end of a depending swing link 26; the latter being pivotally attached, at its upper end, to

a 3 a rigid bracket 27 fixed in connection with the adjacent side of the frame 2.

A double acting, fluid power cylinder 28 upstands in the cabinet 1 substantially centrally of its sides, and such cylinder is pivotally mountedat its lower end, as at 29, to a pedestal 30. The power cylinder .28 includes an up wardly extending piston rod.31 pivotally connected, as at 32, to the lever arm 22 intermediate the ends of the latter.

Upon actuation of the power cylinder 28 in a direction to cause the piston rod 31 to retract, the presser head 19through the medium of the lever arm 22forcefully urges the log downwardlyin the guideway 13. Conversely, when the power cylinder 28 is actuated to extend the piston rod 31, the presser head 19 is raised, as for the purpose of inserting another log in said guideway.

In order to prevent the upper portion of the log 15 from escaping forwardly from the guideway 13, just as the retention bar 18 maintains the lower portion of said log in place, the presser head.19 is fittedat the frontwith a depending flange 33 against which the face of the log 15 abuts at its extreme upper end when the presser head 19 is in operative, log engaging position.

The double-acting power cylinder 28 is controlled by a valve-regulated, air pressure supply system disposed for the most part within the cabinet 1, and shown mainly diagrammatically in FIG. 1. Such system includes an air pressure supply conduit 34 having an adjustable pressure regulator 35 interposed therein; the handle 36 and gauge 37 of said pressure regulator being disposed outwardly of the front panel 4. From the pressure regulator 35 the conduit 34 leads to a multiple-position valve 38 whose operating handle 39 is likewise disposed outwardly of said front panel 4.

Separate conduits 40 and 41 lead from the valve 38 to opposite ends of the power cylinder 28, and by manipulation of the valve 38 by handle 39 air pressure may be delivered to either end of said power cylinder 28 to cause retraction or extension of the piston rod 31 as desired.

The friction drum 9 is comprisedin detailof a hub 42 fixed on cross shaft 6, with a central radial web 43 supporting a circumferential drum body 44. The web 43 is drilled with a plurality of openings in order to minimize heat transfer to the hub 42 from the circumferential drum body 44.

The drum body 44 is formed, on opposite sides of its central radial plane, with laterally outwardly inclined peripheral faces 45, and all about the periphery of said drum body 44 said faces are fitted with circumferentially spaced, transverse rows of friction blocks 46; the friction blocks 46 of each row being spaced apart transversely, with the blocks of adjacent rows in staggered relation, and being disposed at the same incline as said faces 45, as shown. Each row of friction blocks 46 is engaged, from the rear-relative to the direction of travel-by a continuous backing bar 47; said backing bars being of lesser height or radial extent than the friction blocks 46.

When the smoke generator is in operation, the friction blocks 46running against the lower end of the log 15, and which end assumes the configuration, both circumferentially and transversely, of the periphery of the drum body 44cause the generation of substantial heat, which chars said lower end of the log and produces smoke in substantial quantity as said log is gradually consumed.

By virtue of the laterally inclined faces 45, and the assumption 'of the same contour by the lower end of the log 15 when the smoke generator is in operation, said log is stabilized against lateral deflection or chattering.

Outwardly of the side of the cabinet 1 adjacent the drum housing 12 there is a vertical duct 48 whose lower portion is a continuation of-or transition fromsaid housing 12; the side walls'49 of said housing continuing outwardly to form the corresponding side walls 50 of saidduct 48. The housing 12 and the duct '48 have a common bottom 51 which extends the full length of and connects between the lower edges of the side walls 49 and 50.

The housing 12 includes an upstanding inner end wall 52, while the outer end wall of the duct 48 is indicated at 53. In addition to the side Walls 49, bottom 51, and inner end Wall 52, the housing 12 embodies a circumferential shroud 54 which extends over the friction drums 9 between the side walls 49; such shroud having a top opening 14 through which the lower end of the guideway 13 depends.

The shroud 54relative to the direction of rotation of the friction drum 9--has an inception or starting end 55 disposed a relatively greater distance above the bottom 51 than the terminal end 56 of said shroud. The portion of the shroud 54, from the top opening 14 to said terminal end 56, gradually increases in diameter so as to correspondingly increase the space between said shroud portion and the friction drum 9.

A full-width bafile 57 extends from the starting end 55 of the shroud at a forward and downward incline, and said baffle terminates at its lower end 58 in substantially the same horizontal plane as the terminal end 56 of the shroud 54. The lower portion of the inner end wall 59 of the duct 48 likewise inclines downwardly and outwardly, and mergesat its lowerend-with the end 58 of bafiie 57.

A horizontal water pan 60, in' the form of a drawer, is inserted through an opening in the outer end wall 53 of duct 48, and rests on the bottom 51; such pan matching the bottom 51 both lengthwise and in width. In other words, the water pan -60 encompasses the entire area below the housing 12 and the duct 48; such water pan being adapted to contain a substantial quantity of water, and up to a level 61 adjacent but short of the horizontal plane of the ends 56 and 58 of the shroud 54 and baflie 57, respectively.

The inner end wall 52 of housing 12 extends upwardly a distance to merge with the shroud 54 above its terminal end 56, and a water delivery fitting 62 extends through said inner end wall 52 above the water pan 60. The fitting 62 is coupled to a water supply pipe 63 having a control valve 64 interposed therein; such valve being regulated by a handle 65 disposed outwardly of the front panel 4. By manipulation of the handle 65 the amount of water fed by pipe 63 through fitting 62 and into the water pan 60 is regulated.

The water in pan 60 is under constant flow toward the outer end of the pan and escapes through an upstanding over-flow pipe 66 which said water pan 60 includes adjacent said end. Such over-flow pipe 66 communicates with an opening 67 in the bottom 51, and the water which escapesby virtue of said overflow pipe 66-delivers into a funnel 68 on a floor drain 69.

The duct 48 is provided, in the upper portion thereof, with a suction fan unit, indicated generally at 70, and which suction fan unit includes an impeller or fan 71 carried on a cross shaft 72 driven by an endless belt and pulley unit 73 from one end of the cross shaft 6. Within said duct 48, and immediately below. the suction fan unit 70, said duct is provided with a horizontal, drawer-type filter 74. At its upper end the duct 48 is adapted to communicate with a stack 75 which leads to the smoke house (not shown).

When the above described smoke generator is in operation, the smoke created by the heat of friction, and the charring of the log 15 at the point of its end engagement with the friction drum 9, is drawn from the housing 12 by the suction fan unit 70; such smoke passing in cooling relation over the water in pan 60 and thence flowing upwardly in the duct 48, passing through the filter 74 and being delivered-mnder pressureto the stack 75.

By reasonof the particular configuration of the shroud 54, and especially the increase in diameter of said shroud between the top opening 14 and the terminal end 56, which correspondingly increases the spacing relative to the friction drum 9, the velocity of the smoke as it leaves the log and flows downwardly toward the water pan is reduced. The advantage here resides in the fact that the fly-ash in the smoke more readily precipitates therefrom and is caught by the water pin pan 60 as the smoke flows thereover. Additionally, the forwardly and downwardly inclined baffle 57 tends to cause any fly-ash which strikes such bafile to also precipitate into the water; this being an occurrence which is enhanced by the fact that the lower end 58 of baffle 57 is disposed only a short distance above the water level 61.

The filter 74 serves the purpose not only of trapping any fly-ash which escapes the water in pan 60, but also removes undesirable tars etc. from the smoke; the smoke-by virtue of the efiect of the water pan 60, and said filter 74thus being quite clean and cool when it is delivered into the stack 75.

The pressure of the log 15 endwise against the friction drum 9 is relatively critical to the attainment of the production of smoke in substantial quantity, and such pressure is effectively controlled by means of the regulator 35 for the air supply to the power cylinder 28. In other Words, the power cylinder can be set to exert any desired downward pressure on said log 15.

The particular construction of the friction drum 9, including the friction blocks 46 each spaced from the others both transversely and circumferentially of the drum, is of substantial importance as this feature accomplishes a self-cleaning effect for the face or periphery of such drum.

With the above described friction type smoke generator, smoke-for delivery to a smoke houseis continuously produced in substantial quantity, and with the smoke being cool and clean as necessary for the treatment of food products.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as. will substantially fulfill the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. In a smoke generator, a horizontal-axis driven friction drum, means to guide a substantially vertical log of Wood for frictional engagement at its lower end with the top of the drum, a housing in which the drum is enclosed, an elongated water pan in the housing under the drum disposed so that the axis of the drum is transversely of the length of the pan; the housing including a circumferential shroud extending over the drum from end to end thereof and having starting and terminal ends relative to the direction of rotation of the drum, the terminal end being disposed adjacent one end of the pan and the starting end of the shroud being disposed a substantial distance above the water in the pan, a baflie in the housing extending downwardly from said starting end of the shroud at an incline toward the other end of the pan and terminating at its lower edge close to but spaced from said water in the pan, the drum at the bottom turning toward the baffle, and an upwardly extending smoke-exhausting duct formed with the housing between said other end of the pan and the lower edge of the baffie.

2. In a smoke generator, a horizontal-axis driven friction drum, means to guide a substantially vertical log of wood for frictional engagement at its lower end with the top of the drum, a housing in which the drum is enclosed, an elongated water pan in the housing under the drum disposed so that the axis of the drum is transversely of the length of the pan; the housing including a circumferential shroud extending over the drum from end to end thereof and having starting and terminal ends relative to the direction of rotation of the drum, the terminal end being disposed adjacent one end of the pan and the starting end of the shroud being disposed a substantial distance above the water in the pan, a bafile in the housing extending downwardly from said starting end of the shroud at an incline toward the other end of the pan and terminating at its lower edge close to but spaced from said water in the pan, and an upwardly extending smokeexhausting duct formed with the housing between said other end of the pan and the lower edge of the bafiie; the portion of the shroud between the top thereof and said terminal end increasing materially in diameter to correspondingly increase the space between the drum and such portion of the shroud in the direction of said terminal end; the latter being disposed close to the water in the pan.

3. In a smoke generator, a housing, a horizontal-axis driven friction drum in the housing, and an upstanding guide unit for a log of rectangular section projecting into the housing above and substantially radially of the drum; said guide unit comprising corner uprights for the log open to the front side for the insertion of a log so that a log can be inserted into the guide unit from in front of and above the housing and be then lowered into the housing and engaged at its lower end with the top of the drum, a presser head to engage the upper end of the log and slidably guided on the uprights, means to raise and lower the head and arranged to enable said head to be held clear of and above the log for the insertion of the latter into position in the guide unit, and a depending flange on the head to lap the side of the log on said front side of the guide unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 8,198 Cushman Apr. 23, 1878 321,007 Chapin June 30, 1885 753,540 Burke Mar. 1, 1904 2,384,414 Antrim Sept. 4, 1945 2,640,414 Jensen June 2, 1953 2,840,127 Stokes et a1 June 24, 1958 2,902,991 Whitman Sept. 8, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,199 Norway Sept. 14, 1903 OTHER REFERENCES Food Engineering, vol. 28, June 1956, pages 65 and 151; McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Inc., 330 West 42nd St, New York, N.Y. 

